Beneteau Flyer 500, the Little Flyer That Came in Two Sizes

Where the Beneteau 500 Flyer fits

The beneteau 500 flyer is the smallest boat in Beneteau's fourth Flyer generation, which the builder's archive dates from 2004 to 2016. It is a basic outboard runabout of about 16 to 17 feet for five people, sold in two deck plans: an Open with a center console and a Sun Deck with a sunpad on the foredeck. Neither has a cabin, and both were sold without an engine, with the outboard fitted by the dealer.

Beneteau's 2007 range brochure introduced the Open as fun, easy to drive and quick to plane, a boat that opens the way to all kinds of fun on the water. Its December 2010 brochure said of the Sun Deck that even the most compact Flyer is surprisingly spacious, with a large cockpit, a proper sunbathing area and an ergonomic helm. The oldest example we found for sale is a 2005 boat and the latest Beneteau document we found, the Sun Deck equipment list, is dated December 2010.

Two different boats wore the 500 badge

Comparing listings is confusing because the numbers changed. The 500 Open in the 2007 brochure measures 5.20 m overall on a 4.98 m hull with a 2.24 m beam, weighs 565 kg without an engine and 820 kg light, draws 0.20 to 0.60 m and carries a CE C rating for six. The later boats, including the Sun Deck documented in 2010 and the Open shown in Beneteau's current archive, sit on a narrower hull of about 4.90 m with a 2.10 m beam, measure 4.95 m (Open) or 5.14 m (Sun Deck) overall, and are rated C and D for five.

The maximum power stayed at 90 hp throughout, and the fuel tank at 100 liters (26 gallons). The practical lesson is to measure the beam and check the capacity plate rather than trust a listing's headline length.

• Early 500 Open: 5.20 m overall, 4.98 m hull, 2.24 m beam, 820 kg, CE C6
• Later 500 Open: 4.95 m overall, 2.10 m beam, 830 kg, CE C5 / D5, port side gangway
• 500 Sun Deck: 5.14 m overall, 4.90 to 4.91 m hull, 2.10 m beam, 820 kg, CE C5 / D5

Open or Sun Deck on a 5 m hull

Beneteau describes the later Open as a simple, fun boat for fishing, watersports and coastal jaunts, with a center console, a wide gangway on the port side and a deep cockpit for five. It is the better choice for anglers and for anyone who wants to walk to the bow to anchor or pick up a mooring.

The Sun Deck moves the console off-center to starboard and turns the foredeck into a 1.52 by 1.69 m sunpad, with a wide port side catwalk for getting forward safely. Its 2010 equipment list shows a stern bench for four whose backrest folds down so the engine can tilt, lockable cockpit stowage, cubby lockers under the gunwales, two rod holders on the stern deck and a swim platform decked in solid wood with a ladder. The helm has a grey tinted acrylic windscreen with a long stainless rail, a bolster pilot seat that swivels through 360 degrees and adjusts in height and fore and aft, and a storage compartment behind a sliding door in the console. Beneteau's brochure pointed out a neat trick: the aft bench gains surface area when the engine is tilted down.

How much outboard does a 500 need

With a 90 hp ceiling, the 500 is a boat for 50 to 90 hp outboards. Boats we found for sale carried a 50 hp Yamaha, a 70 hp Suzuki and a 90 hp engine. A 50 or 60 hp four-stroke is enough for two people pottering along the coast, but anyone planning to tow a skier or run with five aboard will want 70 to 90 hp. Beneteau's 2010 list includes pre-rigging for Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda single engines, and steering is by cable.

We found no published speed or fuel test for the Flyer 500, so we have not quoted numbers; a sea trial with a full load is the only reliable way to judge a particular engine and propeller combination.

Few systems, few surprises

There is very little to go wrong. The Sun Deck's 2010 list shows a four-function 12 volt panel, a manual and an electric bilge pump, a key-locked fuel filler on the transom, navigation lights on the console and an all-round light on a post at the stern. Construction is a monolithic polyester hull with added flotation foam and a foam-cored sandwich deck.

That simplicity is the boat's main virtue as it ages. Inspections focus on the outboard, the transom that carries it, the cable steering, the fuel system and the trailer. Teak or wooden swim platform decking may need refinishing, and upholstery is likely to need replacing on older boats.

Living with a Flyer 500

A Flyer 500 suits sheltered water: lakes, bays and summer coastal hops in settled weather. Five people is the legal limit and a comfortable crowd is three or four. At around 820 kg light plus engine and trailer, the boat can be towed by most cars and launched single-handed.

Stateside it is a rarity; nearly every example we found sits in a European marina. American buyers looking for the same formula will find domestic 16 to 17 ft center consoles and runabouts with wider dealer support, so the Flyer 500 mainly interests owners who keep a small tender or day boat at a European holiday home. Expect to spend roughly $2,000 to $5,000 a year, depreciation aside, on a trailer spot or rack, cover and an annual outboard service.

Above and below the 500

The Flyer 550 family sat just above the 500 on a 5.21 m hull and added cabin versions and higher power ratings. After the 500, the Air Step Flyer 5.5 became the smallest boat in the range, and since 2019 the smallest modern Flyer has been the Flyer 6. Each is a different hull, so values and specs do not transfer.